User control for displaying tags associated with items in a video playback

ABSTRACT

A method controls display of one or more visually perceptible tags in association with a video. The method receives a first signal from a user input control device while the video is being presented via a display device without any visually perceptible tags. The first signal is generated by the user input control device in response to activation of a control associated with a function of causing the display device to present the video with the at least one visually perceptible tag. In response to receiving the first signal, the method causes the display device to present the video with at least one visually perceptible tag. After causing the display device to present the video with the at least one visually perceptible tag, the method changes the function associated with the control to thereafter cause the display device to present the video without any visually perceptible tags.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/562,965,filed on Nov. 22, 2006, entitled “USER CONTROL FOR DISPLAYING TAGSASSOCIATED WITH ITEMS IN A VIDEO PLAYBACK,” now U.S. Pat. No. 9,648,296,which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/499,315, filed on Aug. 4, 2006, entitled “DISPLAYING TAGS ASSOCIATEDWITH ITEMS IN A VIDEO PLAYBACK.” The entire disclosures of the foregoingpatent applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

A user control, such as a television remote control device, allows auser to selectively display tags during a video program. The tagsprovide information about items that are visible in scenes in the video.The tags can identify the brand name, item name, location where the itemcan be purchased, additional information about the item, etc. The tagscan be turned on or off by a viewer or user during playback.

In a particular embodiment, a single button press on a remote controlcan cause switching from a play mode without tags to a tag mode thatshows tags in the video; skipping back in time a short interval; andputting the video in a slow-forward play mode, or other alternate modeof play.

In another embodiment the tag mode can be entered and the videopresentation is paused so that tags are displayed on the screen whilethe video is stopped at the point at which (or slightly before) the useractivated a control.

Another embodiment provides for display of an indicator while the useris watching a video in the normal (tagless) mode. The indicator informsthe user that tags are available and will be displayed upon useractivation of a control, such as a button press on the remote controlunit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an example of a video display including an image frame.

FIG. 2 shows the frame of FIG. 1 including tags in a Gadget category.

FIG. 3 shows the frame of FIG. 1 including tags in a Style category.

FIG. 4 shows the frame of FIG. 1 including tags in a Scene category.

FIG. 5 shows an original sequence and two corresponding tag sequences.

FIG. 6 shows a DVD player system suitable for use with the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 illustrates multiple sequences of video including tag sequences;

FIG. 8 shows an example of still-frame tag sequences.

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of basic actions in an embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a video display without tags. In FIG. 1, display 108includes a typical image. In this case the image is of a woman in anoffice typing at a laptop at her desk while she is also talking on awireless phone. The video plays with animation and sounds as is known inthe art although only a single image frame from the video is shown inFIG. 1. Although embodiments of the invention are discussed primarilywith respect to video presentations, any type of visual presentation canbe adapted for use with the present invention. For example, animations,movies, pre-stored files, slide shows, Flash™ animation, etc. can beused with features of the invention.

Any type of playback device (e.g., computer system, set-top box, DVDplayer, etc.), image format (Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG),Quicktime™, audio-visual interleave (AVI), Joint Photographic ExpertsGroup (JPEG), motion JPEG, etc.), display method or device (cathode raytube, plasma display, liquid crystal display (LCD), light emitting diode(LED) display, organic light emitting display (OLED),electroluminescent, etc.). Any suitable source can be used to obtainplayback content such as a DVD, HD DVD, Blu-Ray™ DVD, hard disk drive,video compact disk (CD), fiber optic link, cable connection,radio-frequency transmission, network connection, etc. In general, theaudio/visual content, display and playback hardware, content format,delivery mechanism and other components and properties of the system canvary, as desired, and any suitable items and characteristics can beused.

FIG. 2 shows the display of FIG. 1 with tags added to the image. In apreferred embodiment, a user can select whether tags are displayed ornot by using a user input device. For example, if the user is watching avideo played back on a television via a DVD player or a cable box thenthe user can press a button on a remote control device to cause the tagsto be displayed on a currently running video. Similarly, the user candeselect, or turn off, the tag display by depressing the same or adifferent button. If the user is watching video playback on a computersystem a keyboard keypress can cause the tags to turn on or off. Or amouse selection of an on-screen button or command can be used. Otherembodiments can use any other suitable control for invoking tagdisplays. Displaying of tags can be automated as where a user decides towatch a show without tags for a first time and then automatically replaythe show with tags a second time.

In FIG. 2, each tag is shown with a text box and lead line. The text boxincludes information relevant to an item that is pointed at by the leadline. For example, tag 110 states “Botmax Bluetooth Wireless Earphone”with a lead line pointing to the earphone that is in the ear of thewoman who is the subject of the scene. Thus, a viewer who is interestedin such things can obtain enough information from the tag to find aseller of the earphone. Or the viewer can do an online search for theearphone by manufacturer and/or model name and can obtain moreinformation about the earphone as research prior to making a purchase.

Other tags such as 120, 122 and 124 provide information about otheritems in the frame. Tag 120 states “Filo Armlight www.filolights.com” topoint out the manufacturer (“Filo”) and model (“Armlight”) and website(www.filolights.com) relating to the light to which tag 120 is connectedvia its lead line. Tags can include any type of interesting or usefulinformation about an item or about other characteristics of the imageframe or video scene to which the image frame belongs.

Tag 122 points to the laptop on which the woman is typing and states“PowerLook Laptop I Orange Computers, Inc.” This shows the model andmanufacturer of the laptop. Tag 124 points to the pencil holder andreads “Stylelt Mahogany pencil cup.” Note that more, less or differentinformation can be included in each tag, as desired, by the company thatis managing the tag advertising (“tagvertising”) of the particular videocontent.

FIG. 3 shows additional types of items that can be tagged. In FIG. 2,the tagged items are in a “gadget” category of electronic items orphysical useful objects. FIG. 3 shows a second category of “style.” Inthis category, items such as apparel, fashion accessories, jewelry,hairstyles, makeup colors, interior decorating colors and designs,fabric types, architecture, etc. are described by information providedby tags.

Tag 130 relates to the woman's hair styling and states the hairdresser'sname and website for information about the salon. Tag 132 describes thejacket designer and fabric. Tag 134 shows a cosmetics manufacturer andcolor of the lipstick that the woman is wearing. Tag 136 describes thematerial, style, price and reseller relating to the necklace.

In FIG. 4, another category of tags relating to the “scene” isdisplayed. Tag 140 describes the actress and character being played, tag142 describes what is being seen through the window, and tag 144 showsthe location of where this scene was shot. Other information relating tothe scene can be provided such as time of day, type of lighting used tolight the set, type of camera and camera setting used to capture theimage, the name of the director, screenwriter, etc.

Tag designs can vary and can use any suitable design property. Usuallyit is desirable to have the tags be legible and convey a desired amountof information while at the same time being as unobtrusive as possibleso that viewing of the basic video content is still possible. Differentgraphics approaches such as using colors that are compatible with thescene yet provide sufficient contrast, using transparent orsemi-transparent windows, etc. can be employed. Tag placement can bechosen so that the tag overlays areas of the video that are lessimportant to viewing. For example, a blank wall could be a goodplacement of a tag while an area over a character's face would usuallynot be a good placement.

Tag shape, color, position, animation and size are some of the tagcharacteristics that can be modified. Many different factors can affectthese tag characteristics. If a specific factor, such as aesthetics, isgiven priority then a graphic artist or scene coordinator can be used tomatch the look and behavior of tags to a theme of a scene or overallpresentation. For example, where a scary movie is tagged, the tag designcan be in darker colors with borders having cobwebs, blood, ritualsymbols, etc. For a science fiction episode, the tags can be made tolook futuristic.

If an advertising factor is given priority then tags from a preferredsponsor (e.g., someone who is paying more for advertising) can bepresented in bolder text, brighter colors, made larger or made tooverlap on top of other tags, etc.

In general, any of the tag characteristics can be modified in accordancewith one or more factors.

As the scene changes, such as when characters or objects move through orwithin a scene, when the camera changes angles, when there is a cut toanother scene, etc., tags can also change according to a tag behavior.Different tag behaviors can be used to achieve objectives of conveyinginformation associated with an item while still allowing viewing of thevideo. One behavior is to minimize the movement of a tag's text whilestill allowing the tag to “point” to the item. This can be accomplishedby keeping the tag's text stationary with one end of the lead lineconnecting to the text box and the other end following a moving item towhich the text relates.

Another tag behavior is to shrink or enlarge a tag's text box accordingto the relative size of the item associated with the tag. For example,if an item is in the foreground then the tag's text area can be larger.As the item moves farther from the camera and becomes smaller, then thetag can become smaller and can eventually be removed from the screen.The manner of shrinking the text area can include making the actual textsmaller, removing text from the display while retaining other text,replacing the text with alternative text, etc. Tags may be displayed foritems that are not visible in the same frame as the tag.

Although tags are shown having a lead line that connects the tag textarea with an associated item, other tag designs are possible. Forexample, a line may end in an arrowhead to “point” in the generaldirection of an associated item. A cartoon bubble with an angled portionthat points to an item can be used. If the tag is placed on or near itsassociated item then a lead line or other directional indicator may notbe necessary. In other words, the placement of the tag or text can be anindicator of the associated item. Any suitable, desired or effectivetype of indicator for associating tag information with an item may beemployed. Many other variations of tag characteristics or behavior arepossible.

FIG. 5 shows an original sequence and two corresponding tag sequences.In FIG. 5, original sequence 201 is a video clip of a man walking out ofa room while talking on a cell phone and putting on a suit jacket.Gadget tag sequence 203 shows the synchronized same clip as originalsequence 201 with gadget tags added. Style tag sequence 205 shows thesynchronized same clip as original sequence 201 with style tags added.

In gadget tag sequence 203, the first frame of the sequence correspondswith the first frame of original sequence 201. Note that the progressionof time is shown as three snapshots along the horizontal axis. As isknown in the art, this method of showing video animation on paper usesone or a few “key frames” to show progression of the action. Inactuality, the video clip represented by the three key frames wouldinclude hundreds of frames displayed over 10-20 seconds. This is onlyone example of coordinating a visual presentation with tag sequences.Any number and type of frames can be used. Any suitable format, frameresolution, compression, codec, encryption, enhancement, correction,special effects, overlays or other variations can be used. Aspects orfeatures described herein can be adapted for use with any displaytechnology such as three-dimensional renderings, multiple screens,screen sizes and shapes, etc.

Original sequence 201 does not have tags so that a user or viewer thatwatches the original sequence can view the original program withouttags. If, at any time during the sequence, a user selects gadget tagsequence 203, then the display is changed from displaying the originalsequence to display a corresponding frame of the gadget tag sequence. Inother words, if a user selects the gadget tag sequence at or shortlybefore presentation of the first frame, then the display is switched togadget tag sequence 203 at frame one. In frame one of the gadget tagsequence tags 202, 204, 206 and 208 are displayed. These correspond,respectively, to table, chair, cell phone and camera items that arevisible in the scene.

Frame two of gadget tag sequence 203 shows personal digital assistant(PDA) tag 210 and cell phone tag 212. Frame three of gadget tag sequence203 shows cell phone tag 214. Note that the user can selectively switchbetween the gadget tag and original sequences. For example, if the userdecides to view the program without tags while viewing gadget tagsequence 203 at or about frame two then original sequence 201 will begindisplaying at the corresponding location (e.g., at or about frame two)in the original clip.

Style tag sequence 205 corresponds with each of the original and gadgettag sequences similar to the manner in which the gadget tag sequence isdescribed, above, to correspond with the original sequence. In frame oneof the style tag sequence, shirt tag 220 and pants tag 222 are shown.Note that these tags are not present in gadget tag sequence 203. This isso the user can select a category of tags (either gadget or style) todisplay independently to prevent too many tags from cluttering thescene. Other frames in the style tag sequence include tags having to dowith clothing such as shirt tag 224, pants tag 226 and tie tag 228 inframe two; and suit tag 230, shirt tag 240 and pants tag 242 in framethree.

Note that any number and type of categories can be used. Provision canbe made to overlay two or more categories. Other approaches tosegregating or filtering tags can be used. Depending upon thecapabilities of the playback system, tags can be selected, mixed andfiltered. For example, if a user's preferences are known then tags thatmeet those preferences can be displayed and tags that do not meet thosepreferences can be prevented from display. A user can enter keywords touse to display tags that match the keywords. For example, “electronics”or “autos” can be used as keywords so that only tags that describe itemsthat match the keywords are displayed. A user might select an optionwhereby tags that were previously displayed are then prevented fromdisplay. Or only tags that were previously displayed can be allowed fordisplay. Any type of approach for selectively displaying tags can beadapted for use with the invention.

Although FIG. 5 illustrates selection of tag categories based onmultiple sequences of video, this is not a requirement of animplementation of displaying tags. The next sections of this applicationpresent embodiments where separate sequences are used. However, otherimplementations can use different approaches to achieve the desiredeffect at the user interface without actually having separate videoclips or streams. For example, a computer processor can be used tooverlay tags onto video.

The tags can be stored as separate graphics together with, or separatefrom, data that defines the video sequence. Or the tag graphics can begenerated by a processor in real time according to predefined rules ordefinitions. With this approach, only one video sequence—the originalvideo sequence—may be presented as the graphics for the tags are thensimply added into the video frames when selected. The positioning of thetags can be by pre-stored coordinates that are associated with frames inthe video. Each coordinate set can be associated with a particular tagby using a tag identification (ID) number, tag name or otheridentification or means. In general, any suitable presentation systemcan be used to provide the user interface (e.g., display effects anduser input processing) of embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a DVD player system suitable for use with the presentinvention. Any specific hardware and software described herein are onlypresented to provide a basic illustration of but one example ofcomponents and subsystems that can be used to achieve certainfunctionality such as playback of a video. It should be apparent thatcomponents and processes can be added to, removed from or modified fromthose shown in the Figures, or described in the text, herein.

In FIG. 6, DVD player 301 plays DVD 300. DVD 300 contains multiplesequences of video information that can be read by optical read head302. The video information obtained by the read head is transferred forprocessing by processing system 310. Processing system 310 can includehardware components and software processes such as a central processingunit (CPU) and storage media such as random access memory (RAM),read-only memory (ROM), etc. that include instructions or otherdefinitions for functions to be performed by the hardware. For example,a storage medium can include instructions executable by the CPU. Otherresources can be included in processing system 310 such as a hard diskdrive or other mass storage, Internet connection, audio processingcircuitry and processes, etc. Many variations are possible and manydifferent types of DVD players or other systems for presentingaudio/visual content can be used.

Video data is received at video input 312. Video for presentation isprocessed and output by video output 314. The output video istransferred to display 320. The formats for input and output video canbe of any suitable type. A user input device such as remote control unit324 is used to provide user selection information to sensor 322. Thesensed information is used to control display of the tags.

FIG. 7 illustrates multiple sequences or streams of video that can beincluded on a DVD disc. These sequences can be coordinated so that theycan be played back in a time-synchronous manner. One such method ofsynchronizing multiple video streams is standardized in specificationspromulgated by the DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation such as “DVDSpecifications for Read-Only Disc; Part 3 Video Specifications, Version1.13, March 2002.” An acceptable method is described in thisSpecification as “multi-angle” and/or “seamless play.” Such an approachis also described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 5,734,862. Notethat any suitable method that allows selection and display ofsynchronized video streams can be used.

In FIG. 7, it is assumed that the DVD begins playing on sequence A at330. Sequence A is, for example, the original video sequence withouttags. At a point near the beginning of playing of frame 3A of sequence Athe user activates a control (e.g., pressing a button, etc.) to selectsequence B at 332. Playback of the video then switches from sequence Ato sequence B so that frame 3B is displayed on display 320 instead offrame 3A. Subsequent frames from sequence B are displayed such as frame4B, et seq.

At a time prior to display of frame 5B, a signal is received from a userinput device to select the original sequence A. So frame 5A is thendisplayed instead of frame 5B. Similarly, a signal causes switching at340 to display frame 7C from sequence C. Subsequent switching ofsequences occurs at 344 to switch to sequence B, at 348 to switch tosequence C and at 352 to switch to sequence A. Sequences B and C can betag sequences (e.g., Gadget and Style types of tags, respectively) sothat FIG. 7 illustrates switching among video sequences in a multi-angle(with optional seamless play) system to achieve the functionalitydescribed above in the discussion of FIGS. 1-5.

A broadcast or cable television embodiment can also be used to providetags in a manner similar to that described above for a DVD player. In aradio-frequency, optical or cable set-top box approach, the multiplestreams can be provided on different channels. Instead of reading thevideo data from an optical disc, the video sequences are obtained fromdifferent channels and switching between streams is effected by changingchannels. This channel approach is convenient in that it does notrequire any modification to existing consumer equipment since it reliesonly on providing specific content on specific channels (e.g., onchannels that are adjacent in channel number, for example).

Modification may be made to incorporate multiple sequences in a singlechannel. For example, if the channel bandwidth is high enough toaccommodate two or more streams then a single channel can be used toconvey the streams. Separation and selection of the streams can be by amanner that is known in the art.

Other playback or presentation systems are possible. For example, acomputer system, iPod™, portable DVD player, PDA, game console, etc. canall be used for video playback and can be provided with functionality todisplay tags. Where a system includes sufficient resources such as,e.g., a processor and RAM, it is possible to store tags along with mapsof when and how to display each tag. The tag maps can be stored ascoordinate data with IDs that associate a tag graphic with a locationand time of playback. Time of playback can be designated, for example,by a frame number, elapsed time from start of playing, time code from azero or start time of a sequence, etc. When the time associated with atag is encountered (and assuming tag mode is selected for playback) thenthe coordinates are used to display the associated tag's graphic. Otherinformation can be included.

With more sophisticated presentation systems, additional features can beallowed. For example, a user can be allowed to use a pointer to click onor near a tag. The click can result in a hyperlink to additionalinformation such as information at a website. A portion of theadditional information (including a website) can be displayed on thedisplay in association with, or in place of, the original or taggedvideo.

One manner of providing hyperlink data in a limited presentation deviceis to associate link information with tags. These associations can use atable that is loaded into the presentation device. One simple type ofassociation is to display a number on a tag. A user can then select thenumber or tag by using the remote control device, keyboard, keypad,pointer, etc. and the information associated with the tag identified bythe number can then be presented. For example, if a DVD player detectsthat the user has chosen freeze-frame to stop the playback of a taggedsequence, and then the user enters a number of a tag on the screen, itcan be assumed that the user wishes to obtain more information aboutthat tag. Pre-stored additional information can be displayed on thescreen or on another device. Other ways of identifying tags or items toobtain more information about an item are possible.

If a user registers or associates other devices with their name oraccount, an email can be sent to the other device from a centralservice. The email can include additional information about the selecteditem. A web page can be displayed on the same device that is displayingthe video or another device can have the web page (or other data)“pushed” to the device to cause a display of the additional information.

FIG. 8 shows an example of still frame tags. In FIG. 8, sequence 380 isthe original video sequence. Sequences 382 and 384 are tag sequences.However, sequences 382 and 384 are not in one-to-one framecorrespondence with the original video sequence. Instead, the tagsequences only use one frame to correspond with multiple frames of thevideo sequence. Depending on the ratio of tag frames to original videoframes, much less information needs to be transferred than with the fullsequence approach of FIG. 7.

For example, if the number of items remains relatively constant for manyseconds in a playback of the original video, a still frame that isrepresentative of the overall image during the un-changing sequence canbe used as the frame that is switched to from any point in theun-changing sequence. This is shown in FIG. 8 where selection ofsequence 382 during playback times associated with frames 1A-5A causesframe IB to be displayed. Similarly, frame 6B is displayed if sequence382 is selected during playback of 6A-12A.

Sequence 384 also has a still-frame tagged sequence so that frame 3Cwill be displayed if sequence 384 is selected at any time during thedisplay of the original video sequence corresponding to frames 3A-7A.Note that still-frame sequences can be mixed with fully synchronized(i.e., non-still frame) sequences, as desired. Also, the image in theoriginal video sequence need not be un-changing in order to employstill-frame sequences as still-frame sequences can be used with any typeof content in the original video sequence.

Still frames such as IB, 6B, 13B, 3C, 8C and 11C are displayed for thesame time interval as the corresponding frames of sequence 380. In otherwords, if frame IB is selected at a time just before displaying frame IAduring playback of sequence 380, then frame IB will be displayed in theinterval that would have been occupied by playback of 1A-5A. At the timecorresponding to display of frame 6A (had playback remained on sequence380) frame 6B is displayed. This allows jumping from the originalsequence to a still-frame tagged sequence and jumping back to theoriginal sequence while maintaining time-synchronization with theoriginal video.

The audio track can remain playing over the display of the still-frametagged sequence. Alternatively, when jumping from a still-frame taggedsequence back to the original video, the original video sequence can beresumed from the point where it was exited in order to view the taggedsequence. Features discussed above with respect to non-still frametagged sequences can be applied to still frame tagged sequences.

FIG. 9 illustrates basic steps in one procedure for placing a video (orother visual presentation) into a tagged mode from a normal play mode.The video can be playing on any type of device with any source andformat of video or other visual information. Although the procedure ispresented in a flowchart, any type of automated implementation of thefunctionality of the flowchart can be used. For example, the actions ofthe flowchart can be performed by a processing system (e.g., processor,memory, storage media, etc.), dedicated circuitry, field-programmablegate array (FPGA), programmable logic device (PLD), etc.

The routine represented by flowchart 400 of FIG. 9 is entered at 402when a user input is detected. Such a user input can be from a userinput control such as a button on a remote control device. Any type ofcontrol or command input can be used including physical controls, (e.g.,buttons, dials, toggle switches, sliders, etc.), on-screen controls(selected, e.g., by a mouse or pointing device, or by a computer inputdevice, etc.), image or gesture detection, voice/sound detection orrecognition, etc.

Step 404 is next executed to enable a display of tags in the video. Theacts required to enable the tag display will vary depending upon thedisplay platform being used (set-top box, DVD player, computer, etc.).At step 406 the video presentation is jumped back in time and restarted.In a preferred embodiment, the interval of restarting should be timed totake into account the user's typical delay between deciding that theywant to see a tag at a point in the video and actually activating thecontrol to change to the tagged mode. It is contemplated that this delaymay be about 2 seconds. Naturally, any other delay interval can be usedto jump back in the video for the restart. In some embodiments it may bedesirable to calculate the restart interval based on how much action hastaken place on the screen, or when the last significant tagged objectswere displayed on the screen. Still other embodiments may want nointerval (i.e., step 404 can be skipped) or a jump forward in time. Anytiming manipulation is possible depending upon the video playing abilityof the platform (e.g., random seeking of a video frame).

At step 408 the video playback can be made to enter an alternate mode ofplaying from the normal mode. Examples of alternate modes include fastor slow forward play, pause, playing with effects, playing muted,playing with captions, playing with increased or reduced frame rates,etc. In general, any modification to the normal play mode can be used.In a preferred embodiment, the alternate play mode includes slow forwardwith muting. The user can press the Play button on the remote to causenormal speed play without muting and the tags will still be displayed.Other transport controls such as Pause, Fast Forward, Reverse, etc. arefully functional.

At step 410 the control functions are changed. This is useful, forexample, so that a single button can be used to place the video into anormal or tagged mode of play. If the typical Enter button on a remoteis used to enter the tagged mode of play then step 410 can cause thenext press of the Enter button to exit the tagged mode back into thenormal (untagged) mode of play. It may be useful to change other controlfunctions based on being in normal or tagged modes of play. For example,in tagged mode, the skip forward and back buttons can be used to skipforward or backward to the previous or last change of tags on thescreen. Other buttons, such as the number buttons, can be changed sothat instead of acting as numeric keys (for a channel change, forexample) they are used to select different categories of tags (e.g., “1”for Gadget, “2” for Style, “3” for Scene, etc. Any other controlmodification can be employed. Control functions can revert back to theiroriginal functions when tagged mode is exited. The routine exits at step412.

Note that the steps of flowchart 400 can be performed in any order.Typically, they will be performed so quickly that the user will perceivethem as occurring simultaneously, but that is not a requirement. Anysuitable implementation of one or more of the steps of flowchart 400 canresult in a useful user control mechanism for displaying tags. Merelyswitching to a tagged mode of play from a normal mode of play can beacceptable.

Another feature is to show a tag icon during normal playback to let theuser know that tags are available. Tag icon 106 in FIG. 1 shows a “T” inthe upper left of the screen whenever tags are available for the currentimages that are playing in a normal mode. If the user switches to atagged mode the tag icon can change to a label (e.g., “Gadget,” “Style,”“Scene,” etc.) to let the user know the category of tagged mode that isbeing displayed. This is useful in case there are sections of the videothat do not have any tags in the selected category (or any tags at all).

Any other type of indicator can be used to show that tags are accessiblefrom a normal play mode. For example, a dedicated light-emitting diode(LED) on the remote or on the display can be used. If the display is ona computer system a dedicated or unused area (e.g., screen or frameborder, another window, etc.) can be used. Vibration or other tactilefeedback can be used. Audio alerts such as a tone or bell can beemployed. Recorded or synthesized speech can similarly be used. Theindicator can be on a device related to presenting or playing video(e.g., a home theater system) or it can be on a different device. Ingeneral, any suitable type of indication can be used.

Any suitable programming language can be used to implement features ofthe present invention including, e.g., C, C++, Java, PL/I, assemblylanguage, etc.

Different programming techniques can be employed such as procedural orobject oriented. The routines can execute on a single processing deviceor multiple processors. The order of operations described herein can bechanged. Multiple steps can be performed at the same time. The flowchartsequence can be interrupted. The routines can operate in an operatingsystem environment or as stand-alone routines occupying all, or asubstantial part, of the system processing.

Steps can be performed in any order by hardware or software, as desired.Note that steps can be added to, taken from or modified from the stepsin the flowcharts presented in this specification without deviating fromthe scope of the invention. In general, the flowcharts are only used toindicate one possible sequence of basic operations to achieve afunction.

In the description herein, numerous specific details are provided, suchas examples of components and/or methods, to provide a thoroughunderstanding of embodiments of the present invention. One skilled inthe relevant art will recognize, however, that an embodiment of theinvention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details,or with other apparatus, systems, assemblies, methods, components,materials, parts, and/or the like. In other instances, well-knownstructures, materials, or operations are not specifically shown ordescribed in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of embodiments of thepresent invention.

As used herein the various databases, application software or networktools may reside in one or more server computers and more particularly,in the memory of such server computers. As used herein, “memory” forpurposes of embodiments of the present invention may be any medium thatcan contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program foruse by or in connection with the instruction execution system,apparatus, system or device. The memory can be, by way of example onlybut not by limitation, an electronic, magnetic, optical,electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, system,device, propagation medium, or computer memory.

A “processor” or “process” includes any human, hardware and/or softwaresystem, mechanism or component that processes data, signals or otherinformation. A processor can include a system with a general-purposecentral processing unit, multiple processing units, dedicated circuitryfor achieving functionality, or other systems. Processing need not belimited to a geographic location, or have temporal limitations. Forexample, a processor can perform its functions in “real time,”“offline,” in a “batch mode,” etc. Portions of processing can beperformed at different times and at different locations, by different(or the same) processing systems.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” or “a specific embodiment” means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present invention and notnecessarily in all embodiments.

Thus, respective appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in anembodiment,” or “in a specific embodiment” in various places throughoutthis specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment.Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics ofany specific embodiment of the present invention may be combined in anysuitable manner with one or more other embodiments. It is to beunderstood that other variations and modifications of the embodiments ofthe present invention described and illustrated herein are possible inlight of the teachings herein and are to be considered as part of thespirit and scope of the present invention.

Embodiments of the invention may be implemented by using a programmedgeneral purpose digital computer, by using application specificintegrated circuits, programmable logic devices, field programmable gatearrays, optical, chemical, biological, quantum or nanoengineeredsystems, components and mechanisms may be used. In general, thefunctions of the present invention can be achieved by any means as isknown in the art. Distributed, or networked systems, components andcircuits can be used. Communication, or transfer, of data may be wired,wireless, or by any other means.

It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements depicted inthe drawings/figures can also be implemented in a more separated orintegrated manner, or even removed or rendered as inoperable in certaincases, as is useful in accordance with a particular application. It isalso within the spirit and scope of the present invention to implement aprogram or code that can be stored in a machine readable medium topermit a computer to perform any of the methods described above.

Additionally, any signal arrows in the drawings/Figures should beconsidered only as exemplary, and not limiting, unless otherwisespecifically noted. Furthermore, the term “or” as used herein isgenerally intended to mean “and/or” unless otherwise indicated.Combinations of components or steps will also be considered as beingnoted, where terminology is foreseen as rendering the ability toseparate or combine is unclear.

As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow,“a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural references unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein andthroughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and“on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

The foregoing description of illustrated embodiments of the presentinvention, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intendedto be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formsdisclosed herein. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, theinvention are described herein for illustrative purposes only, variousequivalent modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognizeand appreciate. As indicated, these modifications may be made to thepresent invention in light of the foregoing description of illustratedembodiments of the present invention and are to be included within thespirit and scope of the present invention.

Thus, while the present invention has been described herein withreference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification,various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoingdisclosures, and it will be appreciated that in some instances somefeatures of embodiments of the invention will be employed without acorresponding use of other features without departing from the scope andspirit of the invention as set forth. Therefore, many modifications maybe made to adapt a particular situation or material to the essentialscope and spirit of the present invention. It is intended that theinvention not be limited to the particular terms used in followingclaims and/or to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best modecontemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the inventionwill include any and all embodiments and equivalents falling within thescope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for controlling display of one or more visually perceptible tags in association with a video, the method comprising: receiving a first signal from a user input control device while the video is being presented via a display device without any visually perceptible tags, wherein the first signal is generated by the user input control device in response to activation of a control associated with a function of causing the display device to present the video with the at least one visually perceptible tag; in response to receiving the first signal from the user input control device, causing the display device to present the video with at least one visually perceptible tag; and after causing the display device to present the video with the at least one visually perceptible tag, changing the function associated with the control to thereafter cause the display device to present the video without any visually perceptible tags.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to receiving the first signal from the user input control device, causing the display device to present the video in an alternate play mode.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the alternate play mode includes slow forward play.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the alternate play mode includes a reduced frame rate of play.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: after changing the function associated with the control, receiving a second signal from the user input control device, wherein the second signal is generated by the user input control device in response to activation of the control; and in response to receiving the second signal, causing the display device to present the video without any visually perceptible tags.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: while the video is being presented via the display device without any visually perceptible tags, determining whether the at least one visually perceptible tag is available to be presented via the display device; and in response to determining that the at least one visually perceptible tag is available to be presented via the display device, causing an indicator to be presented, wherein the indicator is configured to make a viewer aware that the at least one visually perceptible tag is available to be presented via the display device and wherein the first signal is received from the user input control device after the indicator is caused to be presented.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indicator comprises an icon presented on the display device.
 8. The method of claim 6, further comprising: in response to determining that the at least one visually perceptible tag is not available to be presented via the display device, preventing the indicator from being presented.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the indicator comprises one or more of a light-emitting diode on the input control, a light-emitting diode on the display device, or an audio alert.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein content of each of the at least one visually perceptible tag comprises descriptive information describing a visually perceptible item in the video.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the descriptive information comprises one or more of a brand name associated with the visually perceptible item, a manufacturer of the visually perceptible item, information about a seller of the visually perceptible item, and a price associated with the visually perceptible item.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein a visually perceptible tag further comprises a box and wherein content for a visually perceptible tag appears within the box.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the box of a visually perceptible tag has a rectangular shape.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the box has a background color.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein a visually perceptible tag comprises a content area and a lead line between the content area and an item in the video.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the control is one of multiple controls associated with a function of causing the display device to present the video with the at least one visually perceptible tag, and wherein each of the multiple controls is associated with a function of causing the display device to present the video with a different category of visually perceptible tags.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the different categories of visually perceptible tags comprise gadget tags, style tags, and scene tags.
 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input control device is a remote control.
 19. An apparatus for controlling display of one or more visually perceptible tags in association with a video, the apparatus comprising: a receiving component configured to receive one or more signals from a user input control device; and a hardware processor configured to be operatively associated with the receiving component, the hardware processor configured to: receive from the receiving component a first indication that the receiving component has received a first signal from the user input control device, wherein the first signal is received while the video is being presented via a display device without any visually perceptible tags, and wherein the first signal is generated by the input control in response to activation of a control associated with a function of causing the display device to present the video with the at least one visually perceptible tag; and in response to receiving from the receiving component the first indication that the receiving component has received the first signal from the user input control device, cause the display device to present the video with at least one visually perceptible tag; and after causing the display device to present the video with the at least one visually perceptible tag, change the function associated with the control to thereafter cause the display device to present the video without any visually perceptible tags.
 20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising: instructions for causing a display device to present a video with at least one visually perceptible tag, wherein the display device is caused to present the video with the at least one visually perceptible tag in response to receiving a first signal from a user input control device while the video is being presented via the display device without any visually perceptible tags, wherein the first signal is generated by the user input control device in response to activation of a control associated with a function of causing the display device to present the video with the at least one visually perceptible tag; and instructions for, after causing the display device to present the video with the at least one visually perceptible tag, changing the function associated with the control to thereafter cause the display device to present the video without any visually perceptible tags. 